Music supporting and turning device



Dec. 10, 1929. H. o. ENSIGN. 1,739,065

MUSIC SUPPORTING AND TURNING DEVICE Filed March 31, 1927 2 L w] 2// 3 I ..!TIJ:TITILCT Patented Dec.-10, 1929 V UNITED, STATES HARMON o. iiiwsrcn, or CLEVELAND HEIGHTS, OHIO MUSIC SUPPORTING AND TURNING DEVICE Application filed March 31, 1927. Serial No. 179,729. 1

I This invention relates to a device for supporting and turning sheet music.

The present embodiment is designed for I use with sheet music which consists of front 5 and back pages and an-intermediate page,

the former pages being constituted of parts of a continuous sheet, while the intermediate page is a leaf that is loose from the others. In'the playing of such music, only the intermediate sheet has to be turned. Popular sheet music at. the present time is published in theabove form in two standard sizes.

The objects of my invention are to provide a device for supporting and turning sheet music of the above class that is adjustable to accommodate publications of the two standard sizes; to provide a device of the aforesaid character that is neat of appearance and that'is very efiicient; and to provide a construction for devices of the aforesaid nature that is simple, that is economical of production, that is especially convenient of use, and that is practically immune from disorder, the co-acting parts of the turning mechanism being of such character that there is no likelihood of their becoming injured if subjected to a reasonable amount of abuse. v II An embodiment of the invention wherein the foregoing objects, with other and more limited ones, are attained, is illustrated in the accompanying drawing wherein Fig. 1 is afront view. 'ofthe device; Fig; 2 is a horizontal section on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a fragmentary. perspective view showing the latch mechanism; and Fig. 4'is a sectional detail of the clip for connecting a leaf of music to the turning arm.

The device is constructed of few. parts, and the majority of these are formed from wire of a suitable gauge. The device comprises a base 1 that is preferably made of some light stiff material,.such as'laminated wood, although for the sake of clearness it is shown in the drawing as being of a solid piece. To the corners'of the base 1 are applied pads 2 'of rubber or the like to prevent the-marring'of pianos or music stands on which the device is placed. Rotatably in the spring faces downwardly.

attached to the base 1 at about itstransverse center and in a vertical position, as bymeans of eyes orstaples 3, is a rock shaft 1 which has its upper end .turned laterally immediately above the top staple 3 to provide a turning arm 5. It is similarly treated at its lower end to produce; what I shall term a keeper 6. The outer end portion of the arm 5 is bent downwardly and then outwardly in. parallelism to the major portion of its length to forma branch 7 beyond which the extremity of the arm is turned upwardly and backwardly upon it,- self to provide a finger 8. This finger is spaced slightly from the branch 7. Carried by this portion of the armis a clip 10 of standard type which is comprised of a split cylindrical spring 11 and opposed jaws 12 having handles 13 that extend through slots in the spring 11. In connecting the clip tothe arm it .is assembled in the following manner: The split cylindrical spring 11 is engaged in a lateral direction through its split side with the branch 7 of the arm 5 and is then rotatedbetween said branch and the finger 8 until the split The spring is then expanded and the jaws 12 are inserted upwardly into the spring and their handles 13 are projected through the slots in the spring and disposed on opposite sides of the finger 8, and when the parts are thus put together the clip is effectively held to the arm, without danger of its becoming dislodged. No soldering or other means of connection is necessary. A

1 Cooperating with the keeper 6 is the nose 15 of .a latch 16 that is preferably formed, as is the shaft 4', from stiff resilient wire,

andloetweenthe body portion of the latch and the nose 15 the wire is formed to pro- .duce a loop which I shall term a finger piece 17.- At the end opposite the nose 15 the wire is curled over to form a relatively small eye 18 through which a screw or other 9 attaching means 19 is inserted for securing the latch to the base 1. At a point somewhat remote from the attaching means 19 the latch is fastened by a staple 20 to the base, and near its free end it is embraced by an elongated staple 21 which serves to limit the vertical movement of said end and restrict it to a course of movement adjacent, and parallel to the plane of, the base. A coil spring 22 surrounds the lower end of the shaft 4 and one of its ends bears against the base 1 and-its'opposite'end ishooked about the keeper 6. By'reason of this arrangemlent, the spring tends to rotate the shaft 4; in a direction to carry-the leaf ofmusic, that is attached to the arm 5 by the clip 10, over to the opposite side of the base so as to reveal the reverse side of said leaf and also the last page ofmusic. The shaft is maintained in the position in which it is shown'in the drawing'by the engagement' of the keeper 6' withtheend of 'thc latch nose 15. When itis desired to turn the'music, the" finger piece 17 is depressed so as'to release the keeperb'and' allow the spring22 'to'rota-te the-shaft 4 as aforesaid. To protectithebase 1 from being marred by the clip 13iwhen' the music is turned, and to avoid the'noi'sethatwould occur by the striking of the clipagainst the base, Iprovide the ba'sewith' a buffer 24 of felt, rubher, or the like; against which the clip strikes.

25 is a music support that is preferably formed ofi a'piece'of Wireto the shape-best shown in 2, and theterminals 26 oft-he supportare adapted to be engaged within an upper set'' of holes 27, or a-lowenset 28, in the base. It may be explainedthat the support is somewhatunder tension'when its extremities are engaged wit-h the" holes of either set'so that the inherent'resi'liency of the wire whereof'the support is'constructed will serve to hold 'the extremities of 'the support within the holes.

To preventthe suctionereatedbythe turning ofthe intermediate'leaf' of music from liftingthe back leaf, the latter is adapted .to be held against the base lby a retaining device 30 that is shown as formed from a piece of wire that is turned laterallyat its upper end and then rearwardly for engagement within a hole in the base, the-device beingfurther secured to the base by a: staple 32.;

The mannerof'using the device is apparent from the foregoingdescription. I wishto point out, however, that byreason of the nature of the engagementbetween the keeper 6 and the latch nose 15, the former may be released from the latter by pressure somewhat in excessof that' which'isnormally exerted by the spring- 22 wherefore; if a=user grasps the arm 5 andturnsthe music without depressing the latch, no injury 'touthe parts results. The feature responsible forthis is therounded engaging surfacesof; the keeper and latch nose.

Having thus described my, invention, what I claim is 2 1, Inv a music supporting and-:turning device, the combination of a base, and means on the base for supporting a sheet of music, said means consisting of a wire member having part-s formed to provide a ledge on which the sheet of music rests and having its extremities turned toward the base, the base having vertically spaced apertures in which said extremities are adapted to beengaged.

2. In a music supporting and turning de vice, the combination ofia base, and means on the base for supporting a sheet of music, said means consistingof a resilient wire member having parts formed to provide a ledge on which thesheet of music rests and having its extremities turned toward the base, the base having aplurality of sets of opposedholes, the extremitiesof said support being adapted to be inserted-in the opposed holes of the respective sets whereby the support maybe adjusted with respect to thebase to accommodate: sheets of music of different sizes, the support bein under tension when its extremities are engaged in opposed holes.

In a device of the character set forth, a

turning arm having slightlyv spaced: apart.

substantially parallel portions, and a" clip consisting of a split cylindrical spring encircling one of said portions and having its split side remote from the other portion, and

pair of jaws inserted within said spring and'having their gripping edgesextending through the split thereof, the jaws having finger: pieces and the spring having slots through which said finger pieces are extended onsopposite sides of said other portion.

4. In a device of the character set forth, a turning arm comprised of relatively heavy wire, the end portion .of said arm being turned laterally and then parallel to itsbody portion to provide awbranch beyond which the extremity of the wire is turned upwardly and over said branclrto form a linger that is in spaced parallel relation to the branch, and a clip secured to said branclrand consisting of a split cylindrical spring encircling the branch and confined betweenthe same and said' finger and arranged with the split side of" said spring opposedto the finger, and a pair of'jaWsinsertedwvithin said spring and having their gripping edges extending through the split thereof, the jaws having finger pieces and the spring having slots through which said finger pieces are extended on opposite sides of the previously mentioned finger.

5; A device of the characteri set forth comprising a base, a heavy wire'shaft rotatably supported therebyin a vertical position, at substantially the transverse center of the base,

thenpper end of the shaft being extended laterally to provide-a turningarm while its lower end is similarly extendedto form a relatively short'keeper that is in substantially parallel relation to the turning-arm, means on the turningarmfor, attachingvthereto a leaf to be turned, a latch on the base cooperating with the keeper to hold the shaft in a position with the turning arm overlying one end portion of the base, said latch consisting of a piece of wire whose body portion is contiguous to the base and substantially inalignment with the keeper, one end of the latch being secured to the base while its opposite end is turned outwardly and thence inwardly and rounded for engagement with the rounded side of the keeper, and means tending to rotate the shaft so as to swingthe arm to a position adjacent the other end portion of the base upon release of the latch, the latch being releasable b reason of the nature of the engagement 0 the latch with the keeper by a force somewhat in excess of that exerted by the shaft rotating means.

6. A device of the character set forth comprising a relatively thin wooden base, a heavy wire shaft disposed vertically of the base at substantially the transverse center thereof, eyes wherein said shaft is journaled and which are provided with parts embedded within the base, the upper end of the shaft being extended laterally to provide a turning arm, means at the extremity of said arm for attaching the upper edge of a leaf to the arm,

the lower end of the shaft being turned laterally to form a relatively short keeper that is in substantially parallel relation to the turning arm, a spring surrounding the lower end of the shaft and having one of its ends engaged with the base and its opposite end secured to the keeper, and a wire latch whose body portion is contiguous to the base and substantially in alignment with the keeper, said latch having one of its ends secured to the base and its opposite'end portion turned outwardly and thence inwardly so that the end of said wire latch is disposed in holding relation to the kee er, and means on the base for confining the ree end of said latch to a limited and given course of movement.

Intestimony whereof, I hereunto aflix my signature. o

HARMON O.- EN SIGN. 

